Inconclusive
by Neverland8
Summary: (Look! I changed the summary!) Six ponies are best friends in different factions. But on the Aptitude test, one is ranked Divergent. Can these ponies survive a governmental war from five different sides? Rated T because I'm paranoid. I do not own MLP:FIM or Divergent. (Just tweaked Chapter One a bit!)
1. Chapter One: Twilight Sparkle

Chapter One

Twilight Sparkle

It was at school when it happened.

I knew this day was coming for as long as I can remember, so how come I'm still unprepared for it?

My mother, Twilight Velvet, cuts my mane and tail. My father, Night Light, doesn't like her makeovers on these days, because it's the same day that the dreaded Abnegations cut their manes and tails, but even he can't argue that this is an important day.

I honestly don't know what he's so worried about. He knows that I'll pick Erudite, no matter what my test results say. I'm not sure if he's worried about me because of Shining Armor, my brother who transferred to Dauntless, or because he doubts that I'll follow through on my promise to never leave Erudite. Either way, I'll prove him wrong.

My mother smiles and uses her magic to wrap a blue scarf around my neck. Blue is scientifically proven to be a calming color, and all Erudites wear at least one article of blue each day. My mother has on a blue scarf to match mine, and she smiles at me. "Nervous?" she asks.

"Not as nervous as you are." I inform her, noting the worried way she blinks and digs her hooves into the ground. "I'll pick Erudite, Mother, no matter what the tests say. I won't leave like Shining Armor."

"It's not that I'm worried about." she confides in me. "Shining Armor wanted to protect us, and that's what he's doing; I'm very proud of him. I'm worried that you will miss your friends."

I shake my head. "It's fine, Mother. Even if we didn't live in the factions, we'd have to separate eventually. It's the way of life." But even I know that that isn't exactly true. I will miss my best friends, and terribly.

She sighs. "You still haven't told your father about the sleepover?"

"No." I shake my head. "Tell him I'm spending the night at Applejack's, and he'll be fine."

My best friends and I are spending the night at Pinkie Pie's house tonight. The problem is that Pinkie is Abnegation; even though she'll probably choose a different faction, he still holds a grudge against them. Her parents don't mind whenever I spend the night, but they always watch me like I'm about to murder them. I'm not even sure if sleepovers are legal, as the Factions are supposed to stay separate, but we never really cared for what was "legal."

After a breakfast of Pumpkin seeds and Parsley (they are also supposed to reduce stress), I go off to the Child's School for the last time. I turned sixteen last month, and that means that it's time for me to go to the Aptitude Test in the afternoons.

I hear the younger ponies talk excitedly about getting a half-day off, but I see that Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, whose older sisters will be taking part in the Aptitude Test, are highly nervous. I pass them and head to Math Class, where all my friends will be.

I get there before Pinkie, which is good; whenever I arrive later, she usually gets picked on, not that she minds. She thinks it's all a game of taunts, and teases the students right back, which only angers them more. I must say this, though- she mustn't care that she's Abnegation and bound by Abnegation rules, because she breaks them all the time.

Rarity, an Amity-born and Sweetie Belle's sister, gestures to me to sit next to her. She isn't happy-go-lucky like some other Candors, but she isn't pessimistic. She's very girly and glamorous, and looks happy that I took her suggestion of the way I had my mother cut my mane. I also notice that she is wearing blue to support me. She is wearing a black-and-white dress, which she always complains is awful wear, but for once she doesn't mention it. To Rarity's left is Applejack, Apple Bloom's older sister. She is Amity-born, and lives on an apple farm. She isn't very optimistic, but again, she isn't sad all the time. She just happens to be a normal pony, and I sometimes wonder if she would fit in Erudite. She is wearing blue fabric around her cowboy hat and hooves, so I wonder if she's really nervous, or just wearing the color to make me feel better.

I glance towards the door just in time to see Pinkie bounce in, with bright blue ribbons in her hair and blue confetti exploding out of her saddlebag. I sometimes wonder if she understands the concept of calm. The Abnegation-born is also wearing a long-sleeved gray shirt and long gray pants the same shade, reaching down to her hooves, which are covered in gray. I assume that her bright color must be hidden up by the Abnegations, which is one reason I agree with my Father that they are horrid; something so beautiful should not be concealed.

She bounces over to me and sits on my other side, which I save for her so she doesn't get teased by my fellow Erudites. She points out the window and calls, "Look! The Dauntless are arriving! Yipee!"

We look out to watch. Though their arrival is stupid, it's also very daring, which is why they do it.

We watch as the Dauntless train arrives. The Pegasi finish tying up their wings and the unicorns cover their horns with some last anti-magic spray. After that, the Dauntless-borns leap off the train, ten feet above the ground, and onto a small net they hung between the trees. I see Rainbow Dash's brightly-colored mane in the pile of ponies, and grin, knowing very well that she did not tie up her wings, but didn't use them, either.

The Dauntless leap into class through the window, all except for Rainbow Dash and out last friend. Fluttershy quakes on top of the ledge, only having taken a hop-skip-and-jump off the train. Rainbow Dash groans loud enough for us to hear, and flies up to drag Fluttershy down, and I notice that they are both wearing blue scarves.

It amuses me that Fluttershy was born a Dauntless and yet is more timid than anyone could imagine. She has her eyes closed the whole way down, and I know for a 100% fact that she will not pick Dauntless at the Choosing tomorrow.

As Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy fly in the window, Pinkie lets loose another set of streamers again. Fluttershy squeals and hides on the empty chair behind me. Rainbow laughs. "Honestly, Pinkie," she calls, "where did you get those?"

"They were left over from the party I threw for the Factionless!" she calls, and we shush her at the last word.

I shudder to think of the Factionless. Study shows that ponies need a purpose in life, and also other ponies, and the Factionless have barely any friends and no purpose. They are the ones who failed initiation into their factions and were forever punished for it. They live on the streets, where they do the jobs nobody wants to do and are cared for by the Abnegation. Our Erudite leader claims that the Abnegations secretly hoard the extra food for themselves instead of giving it to the Factionless, but I don't believe that; I can never see Pinkie hoarding food and not telling us.

"Why are you wearing blue scarves?" I ask Rainbow Dash. "Don't the Dauntless always wear black? Didn't anyone question it?"

"Eric was the only one to ask." Rainbow refers to one of her faction's leaders. "We just told him it was part of a dare, and then he was perfectly fine with it. He must have spread the news around."

At that point, the class begins. Cheerilee, our teacher, walks in and smiles sadly at us sixteen-year-olds. "So, today's the day." she says sadly. We nod.

"What day?" One of the younger students asks. I sigh when I realize that he's from Abnegation- the poor, uneducated pony.

"The Aptitude Test." Cheerilee explains. "This is the day when the Sixteen-year-olds take a test- which they are not allowed to prepare for- and they are given the faction which would be most appropriate for them. Tomorrow, they take part in the Choosing Ceremony, where they decide where to spend the rest of their lives- with family, or someplace else."

I am horrified to think of leaving my family for anything, but even more horrified to think of taking a test I am not allowed to study for.

The rest of the half-day goes as normal, until it comes. Us six walk down the hall together, ready to take the Aptitude Test together. Even Pinkie looks solemn- and by that, I mean she's bouncing and giggling slower than usual.

We sit down at the lunch table, waiting slowly for them to come. They go through three batches before the Unicorn comes and says…

"From Abnegation, Pinkie Pie and Apple Cobbler. From Erudite, Twilight Sparkle and Lyra Heartstrings. From Dauntless, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. From Amity, Apple Jack and Derpy Hooves. From Candor, Rarity and Amethyst Star. That will be all."


	2. Chapter Two: Twilight Sparkle

Chapter Two

Twilight Sparkle

I walk with my friends close by. I'm suddenly glad I'm clothed in blue, because otherwise I have no idea how nervous I would be; I'm already shaking as it is, and Pinkie is bouncing even slower now.

There are rooms, numbered one through ten. I know that eight of the ponies in there are Abnegation- which I despise- but the only two instructors that are not Abnegation are for the Abnegation students. So I point Pinkie towards room six- she'd probably get lost if I didn't- and I head over to room two. I nod to Lyra Heartstrings, who looks nervous, and I go in the door.

The instructor is a gray pony, wearing clothes so similar that you can barely tell she's wearing any at all. She closes the door behind me and gestures to the chair behind me. It has a helmet above it that looks like a sieve, and metal clamps to keep my hooves still, as well as wires stretching from the helmet. I nervously sit down, wondering if I should have prepared for this anyway.

"It's fine." the pony says, closing the clamps around my hooves. "The straps are to make sure you don't knock anything over during the simulation."

I nod, but I neglect to mention to the poor Abnegation that I already figured that out.

The pony, who tells me her name is Charcoal Bakes, and actually seems very friendly for an Abnegation, puts the helmet down. She hands me a bottle full of grayish-gold elixir. **(AN: I don't remember what color it is, but I don't care, because I have the standby excuse that IT'S EQUESTRIA, DARNIT! So, yeah, I'm good.)** I look at her questioningly, and she says, "Go on! Drink it down. It's the simulation-starter. Don't worry, you'll be fine. The results will appear on the screen in front of us."

I notice the screen, and nod to her again.

"You're Twilight Sparkle, right?" she asks.

I glare at her. "Just start the simulation!" I grumble as I drain the bottle.

Of course, she doesn't respond, or even glare at me. The Abnegation are insufferable… all except Pinkie.

That's when the simulation begins.

[linebreak]

I open my eyes in a lit room. It's the school cafeteria, and the tables are all set out, but empty. The kitchen is gone, as well, and the door that leads to it is nonexistant. I look out the cafeteria window, and see that it's lightly snowing, even though it's near summer in real life.

Then I notice one table in the middle that has two large baskets on it. I walk up and peer in, and I see that one holds a large knife, and the other holds cheese.

"Choose!" says a voice in my head. The voice is distinctly feminine, and I recognize it as that of the Erudite leader, Jeanine.

"Why?" I ask aloud.

"Choose!" comes the call again.

"But this makes no logical sense!" I stutter. I can't choose if I don't know what I'm

choosing for!"

"Suit yourself." Jeanine's voice says, and the baskets dissapear.

I hear a door open, and I look around. A vicious-looking dog is glaring at me. He barks in a threatening tone, and then charges.

I suddenly realize that a knife would have come in handy.

I try to send a blast of magic at the dog, but realize that nothing's coming out. My magic must be suppressed in this simulation. I immediately think back to any books I may have read about dogs, and I roll over onto my stomach in a sign of submission.

The dog slows as he approaches me, tilting his head in a confused way. Finally he starts licking my face, and I giggle and stand up slowly. I am very glad I didn't pick the knife; this dog probably thought I was going to attack.

Then I look up, and I see Apple Bloom standing there, looking very innocent and defenseless. "Puppy!" she yells, and the dog tenses.

The dog is about to pounce. Without thinking, I throw myself on the dog. I hear a yip and a scream from Apple Bloom, and then I hit a cold, hard floor.

However, I note that the texture is different than the Cafeteria floor, and I look up to see that I'm on a train. I quickly stand up and look for available seats, and notice that there are none; I resign myself to standing.

A pony in front of me holds a Newspaper above his face, and I notice horrible burns on his hooves. "Do you know her?" he asks, pointing one hoof to the newspaper.

I look at the Headline- _Rogue Griffin Caught by the State!_ - and shudder at the picture of the wild-looking griffin on the cover. "Let me read the story." I say, and I look at the second paragraph, as the first is long and boring-looking.

"_We have finally caught the Griffin that has been terrorizing Dauntless for so long!" announces Dauntless leader Eric. "This Griffin has been carrying off colts for a long while, to who-knows-where, and kills any ponies that gets in her way. Fortunately, one of our trainers managed to lay a trap for the Griffin, and she is now in our custody."_

_We spoke to the trapper, Four, but he seemed angry at us and told us to leave him alone._

I stop reading and shudder. Something in the back of my head tells me that I know this Griffin, but I can't remember from where. I put down the newspaper and see that the pony I took it from has scars and burns across his entire body. He is dressed like a Dauntless.

"Well?" he asks. "Do you know her?"

I don't know what to say. I can't lie, but he might attack me if I tell the truth. So I just shrug.

The pony stands up and glares at me, coming closer. Nobody moves. "Give me an answer!" he screeches. "Do you know her?"

"No." I say with conviction.

Suddenly the pony is up in my face. "You're lying!"

"No." I start shaking. "I… I don't…"

"If you know this Griffin, you can save me!" he screams. "_You can save me!_"

"Well," I step back, glaring into his eyes. "I don't know her."

[linebreak]

I wake up back in the machine. Charcoal Bakes unhooks the wires, and doesn't look at me. "Stay here." she says, and canters out of the room.

I manage to slip my arms out of the clamps and curl up in a ball. I knew I should have studied. I must have failed. _But how could I fail?_

It takes ten minutes, but Charcoal Bakes returns, and closes the door tightly. She turns to me. "Your results were inconclusive." she says.

I immediately freak out. "Inconclusive?" I shriek. "This isn't right! Nopony's Inconclusive! The test…"

"The test didn't work on you." Charcoal says.

I stop. She gives me a serious look.

"They call it Divergent."


	3. Chapter Three: Twilight Sparkle

**AN: This is a long one! PREPARE YOURSELVES! (Also, next POV will be different. I swear!)**

Chapter Three

Twilight Sparkle

I stay silent, the word ringing in my head.

_Divergent._

_Inconclusive._

_Divergent._

"It's not unheard-of." Charcoal tells me, as she checks the door for eavesdroppers. "But it's highly dangerous. One of the perks of being Divergent is that you can manipulate the simulations, so of course the Government can't want that, and most Divergents… well, let's say they don't make it past initiation."

"The Government?" I ask. "You mean the Abnegation?"

"The Erudite." she responds.

I feel a chill down my spine. _My own faction… they want to kill me._

"My brother was Divergent." Charcoal tells me. "He was my twin, Baritone. He didn't last a week after Aptitude."

"Am I going to die?" I ask a bit too suddenly.

"Not if you're careful." Charcoal shakes her head. "I deleted your Simulation footage under the pretext that you got sick. I'll tell them that you got Erudite, okay?"

I'm still a bit in shock over it. She sighs. "We can rule out Amity, because otherwise you would have picked the cheese. You show your Intelligence with your sign of submission and the fact that you read the paper. You also show Dauntless by standing up to the man at the end, but also you don't show their personality when you didn't pick the knife. You are also Abnegation, because you were willing to sacrifice yourself for the Earth Pony… but you also didn't act selfless when the pony on the train told you that you could save him. Also, we can dismiss Candor because you didn't tell the truth… only the Candor _do_ tell the truth on that simulation."

I barely hear her words, though I know I'll remember them. "What should I do?" I ask.

"Go where they won't expect to find you." Charcoal advises. "And don't go immediately back to your faction, because they'll wonder why you're back so early. Now, leave. Quickly, before they ask what's wrong."

"But… my friends…" I stutter as she pushes me out the door.

"I'll tell them that you're going to meet them at the train." Charcoal promises. "Hurry! Leave!"

She slams the door behind me.

**[linebreak]**

My friends don't arrive for another hour.

"Are you okay?" Fluttershy asks immediately.

"Do you still have any vomit I can play with?" Rainbow Dash asks, which earns a squeal from Rarity and a kick from Applejack.

"Sorry, Rainbow." I say. I turn to Pinkie. "So, we're heading to your house?"

"Yesiree!" Pinkie salutes with her hoof. "But we're going to have to disguise you all as Abnegation."

"What?" Rarity and Applejack ask at the same time.

"Why?" I ask Pinkie.

"I dunno." Pinkie shrugs. "But you know how they've been a little less than strict with their 'faction before blood and/or friendship' thing lately? Well, they're getting tighter. An Erudite has to be checked for weapons before even entering our land."

"What?" I am shocked. As if an Erudite would be dumb enough to have weapons!

Pinkie nods. "So, Twi, if you could…"

"Got it." I nod. I chant an appearance-changing spell under my breath, and a flash of purple light shoots out of my horn. I look up, and see that everyone is wearing Abnegation-style shirts and pants, and everyone's hair- even Pinkie's- is in a tight Abnegation bun. I feel cold without my scarf, but I know that it'll reappear when I summon it.

Rarity is unusually quiet, even though she normally complains how boring the Abnegation clothes are.

Pinkie silently leads us to her house, and sneaks us upstairs without her parents noticing, which makes me feel that something is wrong. She then goes downstairs to tell her parents something, and we wait in her room.

The door opens, and we all gasp when we see Pinkie's sister, Marble, look in. Limestone and Marble are a year younger than Pinkie, and they're Abnegation through-and-through.

"Hello." she says, a little too friendly-like. We stay silent.

"You really look like Abnegations, when you're dressed like that." she says, and I know she means it.

She then leaves, silently, and doesn't come back.

Pinkie bounces in a few minutes later, and closes the door. I send the appearance-changing spell again, and all our hair comes down. We are now wearing pajamas.

"What should we do first?" Rainbow Dash asks.

"No scary stories." Fluttershy insists. She got nightmares the last time. Rainbow looks disappointed.

"I have an idea!" Pinkie says. "To prove our loyalty to each other, and giving us something to carry with us when we… separate."

There is a silence in the room. We never really thought seriously hard about never seeing each other again, but now it hits us all.

"What's your idea, Pinkie?" Applejack asks.

"Let's tell each other how our simulations went!" Pinkie squeals.

_No._ I think. _I can't tell them I'm a Divergent._

"We're not supposed to-" I begin.

"We're sleeping over, Twi." Rainbow smirks. "Since when did we care about what we were supposed to do?"

"I'll start!" Pinkie bounces. "So, I wake up in the cafeteria, and I see two baskets in front of me, one with cheese and one with a knife."

"I saw that, too." Rarity notes.

We all nod.

"So then, I hear a voice in my head telling me to choose, so I eat the cheese. Then a dog comes at me, and it's the most adorable dog ever! So I roll over to let it give me a belly-rub, just to see what happens, and it lets me pet it! And then I bounced around it singing a song about how it's my new pet, and then I wake up in a meadow with lots of sheep. I start playing with them when I hear someone come up and ask me what I'm doing. I smiled at him and told him that I was playing a game, and then I woke up! My test instructor, Tori, told me that I was an Amity! Isn't that great?"

We sigh. We figured Pinkie would be an Amity, though we were wondering how she'd take the news. She seems happy about it. She gestures to Fluttershy to go next.

"Well, I picked the cheese, of course." Fluttershy says. "Then the tables disappeared, and a Factionless pony came and asked for the cheese. I gave it to him, and he asked if I was a Dauntless. He looked really mad, so I said no. Then he started yelling at me, and I got really scared." Fluttershy whimpered at the memory. "He then told me that I could save him if I was Dauntless, so I responded that I was. That's when I woke up, and I was told that I was… _Abnegation_."

Pinkie squeals, but the rest of us are quiet.

"Well, I picked the basket." Rarity shrugs. "It was very pretty. And then an Art-class came in, and asked me to join them. I did, but they told me I couldn't if I was Candor. Now, they were all about to make pretty dresses, so I told them that I wasn't. They screamed that I was lying, but I held my ground. That's when I woke up from the Simulation, and I was told that I was an Amity."

We turn to Rainbow.

"I picked the knife."

That wasn't much of a surprise.

"Then the dog came at me, and I pounced on it. I kept the knife in my mouth, where it'd be out of the way, and then…" Rainbow proceeds to give us a blow-by-blow description of how she made the dog submit to her, and by then she realizes that we're bored. "Then right after that I just woke up, and the Abnegation in there told me that I was Dauntless, and didn't need a second simulation."

"I didn't pick anything." Applejack tells us stubbornly. "But the dog didn't come for me. Instead, your leader, Twilight…"

"Jeanine?" I ask.

"Ya, her. She tells me that if I'm an Apple, then I have to die. I didn't see any point in lyin' to her, so I told her that I was an Apple. Then I find myself in a field, under an Apple tree. Big Mac tells me to buck it, but no matter what I did, the Apples didn't come down. After a while, Big Mac tells me that he'll buck it if I tell him I can't do it. So I told him." Applejack looks daunted at the memory. "I woke up from the simulation, and the pony told me that I was Candor."

"Cool!" Pinkie says.

"Not cool!" Applejack yells back. "She said that from my results, Amity was the least likely for me. How can I live in Amity at the farm if I can't _be_ an Amity?"

We all fall silent. We knew that Applejack didn't want to leave her family, but… wow.

"How 'bout we just get some sleep?" I suggest.

"What about your Simulation, Twilight?" Fluttershy asks.

I take a deep breath and shrug my shoulders. "Same as yours, Applejack, except instead of bucking an apple, I'm taking a test, and Shining Armor wants to take it for me. And I refused, because I knew the material."

"So you got Erudite?" Rarity asks as I summon sleeping bags.

"Yes." I lie as a curl into my make-shift bed.

But I didn't get Erudite.

Erudite. Dauntless. Abnegation.

_What am I?_

**[linebreak]**

We set Rainbow Dash's alarm clock for four in the morning. At that, we all crowd together. We know that this is the last time we'll ever be together, and we feel upset.

"If I pick Amity, I'll see you around." Pinkie says brightly. "I'll be delivering food."

"Same here." Rarity says.

"And I'll be guarding stuff." Rainbow smiles. She knows for a fact that she'll pick Dauntless.

I grin. "Yeah. Okay."

But we all know it isn't so.

I summon a transporting-spell, and we smile at each other for perhaps the last time.

And I awake in my bedroom, in my house, in my faction.

And I cry.

**[linebreak]**

I only get another two hours of sleep before Mother wakes me up to go to the Choosing Ceremony. We have to cross into Abnegation Land to get there, and we see firsthand that Pinkie wasn't kidding; we have to be searched by Dauntless guards before we can enter Abnegation. All the way into the Hub- the building where the Ceremony is- and up the Elevator, Father mutters under his breath about the Abnegations.

I never liked Elevators. This strange magic scares me. Finally, we get to the room where the Ceremony is held, and I nod to my parents before scampering in line.

As we're going in reverse alphabetical order, I am the first of my friends. I look back and see Rainbow in a short-sleeved Dauntless outfit, and Rarity in front of her, wearing a Candor suit.

"Welcome to the Choosing Ceremony!" calls an Abnegation, Marcus, in front of us.

He proceeds to give a boring speech about how the Factions came to be. In short, our ancestors blamed war and destruction on evil. Those who blamed dishonesty for evil formed Candor; those who blamed arguments formed Amity; those who blamed cowardice created Dauntless; those who blamed selfishness formed Abnegation, and those who blamed ignorance made Erudite. He continues to babble on about how we are now sixteen and may choose our path in the world, but I'm just counting ponies ahead of me.

At this point, I realize that the reason I was so confident that I would pick Erudite was because I was so confident I would get that on the Aptitude test. So which should I choose? Dauntless are brave, and I'd be with Rainbow, but they also scare me a little. Abnegation is a no-go; I dislike them as much as my Father does. Erudite has my family, but I also want adventure, so should I pick Dauntless? Or Erudite?

He calls up an Abnegation pony first, and he picks the faction that he was born in. As the line ahead of me gets shorter and shorter, I start to panic. When Marcus calls up, "Twilight Sparkle!" I almost faint.

I canter up and he hands be a knife. I am supposed to cut open the skin above my hoof and drip it into one of the bowls, to symbolize where I am going. The candor bowl is full of glass, the Amity bowl is full of dirt, the Dauntless bowl has heaps of hot coals, the Erudite has water and the Abnegation bowl has stones.

Dauntless? Abnegation? Erudite?

What should I choose?

Then then I realize that I don't _want_ to choose.

The Erudite water turns red.


	4. Chapter Four: Applejack

Chapter Four

Applejack

**(AN: We're skipping back a few minutes. Just so you know. Also, if my typing-Southern Accent is a fail, blame **_**Across Five Aprils**_**.)**

I'm one of the last ponies in line, and I'm happy fer it.

I don't know what to do.

Of course, the other Apples gave me the same crap they give every sixteen-year-old. "We have enough farmhands as it is; pick whatever ya want. We'll miss you, but you'll be happy." Well… surprise! It's just as hard to choose between leaving your family and stayin' with it since when y'all were sixteen.

Amity. Candor. Amity.

Of course, my choice isn't limited to Amity or Candor. I know I kin choose from whatever I want. I'm not smart enough to be an Erudite, though, and I'm certainly not selfless enough to be an Abnegation. Dauntless? There's the other problem. I'm certainly brave enough fer them. Jumpin' off trains? I think it's fun!

I hear Twilight's name called, and I look up. Twilight just cut her hoof… why does she look confused? She's always wanted to choose Erudite, so why isn't she?

Finally, Twi puts her bleeding hoof over the bowl of water for Erudite. The Erudites let out a cheer. Twi gives me a startled-yet-shocked glance and canters over to stand behind them. She's the first Erudite initiate, though there are so many ponies that I'm sure there'll be more to come.

I can't pay attention to any other ponies, as I pay attention to the three factions I kin choose from.

Our family have always respected Candor. They're all sittin' in their seats, clappin' quietly when an initiate bleeds onto the glass.

Amity clap for everyone. I wonder how everyone else is so obviously happy all the time.

Dauntless go positively wild when an initiate joins 'em. I wonder how I could choose them, them being all wild and insane, but then I also wonder how I could _not_ choose to join 'em.

It's Rarity's turn. She goes up shakin' like a leaf, and she cuts her skin gently. Knowin' her, she's probably goin' to cry if it scars. She looks between Candor's glass and Amity's dirt, and then sticks her hand above Amity, her eyes shut tight.

Candor mumbles. Amity raises a cheer. Rarity canters over to the other Amity initiates. I figure she'll be happy there.

Rainbow Dash is immediately next. She flies up and cuts her skin without hesitation or sign of pain. She doesn't hesitate when she sticks her hoof over the burning coals for Dauntless, either.

The Dauntless go absolutely berserk. Rainbow flies over to them and gives a holler.

A few more ponies go, and then it's Pinkie's turn. She bounces over and cuts her skin without paying attention. I'm sure it didn't even hurt. She looks between the Abnegation pebbles and the Amity dirt, and I see a brief moment of confusion on her face. It's soon replaced with glee after she sticks her hoof over the dirt.

I'm happy fer her. I know she'd have been miserable in Abnegation, anyway. And now she'll get to hang out with Rarity, one of her best friends. That's more than I kin say fer most of us.

I watch many more ponies go by. One Dauntless, Lightning Dust, does a hoof-bump with Rainbow Dash when she joins her in initiation. Two twin earth ponies both choose Amity and immediately start a clapping game. I feel I should know their names, but I'm completely lost.

Fluttershy then goes up. She cuts her hoof and flinches as the tiniest cut is made. She looks worried. Her eyes dart between the Dauntless coals, the Abnegation rocks and the Amity dirt. Finally, she shudders and puts her hoof over the rocks.

Abnegation lets out a cheer. She's their third transfer, and eleventh initiate. I notice that Amity and Erudite have more initiates than them.

I'm so lost in thought that I barely hear "Applejack!" I realize that it's my turn and I walk up slowly, my decision still weighing heavily on my mind.

Marcus, the Abnegation in charge, hands me the knife. I cut my wrist and toss the knife aside. Now's the time to choose. Dauntless. Candor. Amity.

Adventure, Honesty or my Family.

I am about to put my hoof over the dirt when I glance up at the Amities. I can see Big Mac and Granny Smith. They look at me, and Granny Smith gives me a small nod. She knows I can't be an Amity.

My hoof flies over to the glass, and blood falls onto it.

I have my eyes closed. Other ponies start cheering. I sigh and walk over to the other Candor initiates. There are thirteen of 'em, counting me.

We watch as the others leave before us. Abnegation leaves solemnly and respectfully, holding the doors open for other ponies. I see Fluttershy grinning at a few other Abnegations. She'll be alright.

The Dauntless canter off, screaming and throwing their hooves in the air. They're followed by the Amity, who are skipping along. I know my friends in those two factions choose right.

The last to go- besides us- are the Erudites. Twi looks happier than I swear I've ever seen her.

Am I the only one doubting my choice?

I look to the other initiates. Six of 'em are from Candor by birth. I see one from Amity- Goldengrape, I think- eying the others nervously. Two are from Erudite- I think their names are Cherry Fizzy and Thunderlane. One is from Dauntless… James, I think? There's two from Abnegation, as well… Berryshine and Crescent Moon. Then there's me.

We go last, as the Abnegation close the doors behind us.

As we board a bus silently to get back to the Candor Borders, I have to wonder what my family thinks of me.

**And whether I made the right choice.**


	5. Chapter Five: Rainbow Dash

Chapter Five

Rainbow Dash

This is the best. day. ever.

Of course, I had absolutely no indecision whatsoever. Dauntless was where I was raised, and it's where I belong. No questions asked.

I see one Abnegation transfer- I think her name's Beatrice or something- and a whole mess of Candor transfers, with perhaps three Erudites. They probably wanted to get away from their boring lifestyle or something.

The train comes by, and I hear a boy yell, "Do we have to jump _on_ it?"

Well, _duh_, genius. Do you think it's going to stop for us or something? Please.

The second an opening comes my way, I jump in. I'm followed by my best Dauntless buddy, Lightning Dust. We hoofbump again, and watch as the other initiates jump in. One Candor girl- Christina- and Beatrice barely make it into the last compartment.

"Welcome to Dauntless, transfers!" I call, and Lightning shoots me a look. I know we're not supposed to be super-friendly, but I smirk at her and continue. "If you thought that was scary, just wait and see what's coming for you!"

Lightning sees my method and starts laughing as the transfers look worried. Melilot, an Erudite transfer, asks, "What's coming up?"

"Well, let's put it this way." Lightning giggles. "We jumped _on_ the train. How do you think we get off?"

Blueberry Cloud, an Amity transfer, gulps and starts whispering with her friend, Graceful Falls.

Yeah, I memorised their names. Why wouldn't I? Some of them might pass initiation and make it to my faction. But I doubt it.

It takes a while to make it to where Dauntless' hyper-secret HQ is. And that is the top of a building. I take a short nap on top of a crate, but I wake up a few minutes later. When I do, I find that my wings have been tied to my body.

"Hey!" I scream, leaping up. "Who tied my wings together?"

I look around accusingly. The one-or-two unicorns that are there are trying to rub some sort-of plaster off their horns, and all the other pegasus' wings are tried together, including an upset looking Lightning Dust.

"What happened?" I ask.

"Time to get to HQ." Lightning tells me.

"Without flying?" I gulp. I've never gone to HQ without flying before. I just realized that the plaster on the Unicorns' horns was magic-proofing spray, which will wear off in an hour.

The building approaches. I smirk at the others, trying to feel as confident as I look. "See ya at the HQ, stiffs!" I laugh.

"Stiffs" is another word for Abnegations. It's usually used as an insult, and the transfers take it as such. I have second thoughts about using it, though, after I do. Am I betraying Pinkie and Fluttershy by using it?

Fluttershy. Who left us.

I don't have time to think about it, though, as the roof approaches. I close my eyes and leap. **(AN: The second word in that sentence to the end is from a song I often associate with Rainbow Dash. If you can guess it, you get free Internet Donuts! Here's a hint: the sentence begins with, "It's time to trust my instincts…" I will also have another line from that song in a later part, so see if you can spot it.)**

I obviously underestimated my talents. I'm the first to hit the roof, and I slide across it. I land in the middle, and when Lightning Dust lands, I help her to her hooves.

Max, one of our leaders, gives us a wink. Lightning and I hoof-bump. I think we're going to be doing that a lot.

One by one, the other initiates appear. The Dauntless-born are first, of course. Apparently Melilot felt he'd rather be Factionless than brave, for he gives us a sad-but-relieved glance as he goes off on the train. Blueberry Cloud and Graceful Falls make it, but only barely, and Graceful Falls looks like she's going to puke.

Finally, the last compartment appears. Beatrice and Christina land safely, along with another couple Erudite transfers, Will, Peter and Molly and Drew. One of my fellow Dauntless-borns, Rita, breaks out in a wail as Uriah holds her back. I look over the edge of the roof and gasp.

Rita's sister is sprawled on the ground, her limbs at an awkward angle. I stagger backwards, horrified.

Not even we are safe.

"Hello, initiates." Max calls. "I am Max, one of the Dauntless leaders. To get to our headquarters, you're going to have to jump again."

A few transfers peek over the sides and squeal at the black, gaping hole.

"Is there something to catch us at the bottom?" Beatrice asks.

"Only one way to find out." Max smirks. "Transfers first."

Lightning and I grumble, but step back. Peter smirks at Beatrice. "Move it, Stiff."

I decide that I don't like hearing that, and will never say it again. What would Pinkie and Fluttershy think?

I remember that Fluttershy left us, and it hits me like the train that just passed by.

She will be forever shamed by the Dauntless. Her parents won't visit her. She'll be considered a weakling and traitor.

She joined _Abnegation_. There's the second-worst, according to Dauntless, for they don't like aggressive action. I wonder if I'll ever see Flutter again.

Lightning hits me on the shoulder to snap me out of my thoughts. I notice that all the transfers have jumped now. I smile, nod to Max, and then run to the edge of the building and jump.

I land safely in a net, and I tear the ropes off. I stretch out my wings and move out of the way for Lightning Dust to land.

Four, one of the head trainers, raises my leg. "What's your name?" he asks.

"Rainbow Dash."

Four raises it higher. "Rainbow Dash!"

We go straight to our dorms afterwards.

There are a few extra beds. I feel very sad when I realize that one was for Rita's sister, and the other was for Fluttershy.

"How do you think the transfers will react to the news?" Uriah asks.

"What news?" I blankly stare at him while I settle on my bed. I don't bother to change into pajamas; my black one-piece is enough.

"The news that only ten of us will make it into Dauntless." Lynn responds.

I had forgotten about that. "Who cares?" I ask. I look around. "I'm sure we'll all make it, anyway."

The other Dauntless-borns smirk at each other, giggling. Everyone but Rita, who sniffles and looks like she wants to die. Her and her twin sister, Amaris, have been inseparable since birth. I have a feeling she'll end up factionless… or dead.

Lightning's bed is next to mine. She catches my expression. "Chillax," she says, "You'll make the cut. I'll be surprised if one of us isn't in first."

I nod, but groan inside. She has no idea what's troubling me.

I mutter, "I miss Flutter."

Lightning nods. We were the only ones who had been nice to Fluttershy before she left. "You can't see her again." she reminds me. "It's law. You can't change it."

I look at her, and grin, which startles her. "Some things I cannot change. But 'till I try, I'll never know."

I wonder what Fluttershy is doing now…


	6. Chapter Six: Fluttershy

Chapter Six

Fluttershy

"I will be my undoing if I become my obsession. I will forget the ones I love if I do not serve them. I will war with others if I refuse to see them. Therefore I choose to turn away from my reflection, to rely not on myself, but on my brothers and sisters, to project always outward until I disappear, and only God remains."

I mutter this to myself the whole bus ride to Abnegation's land.

I wonder what Rainbow would say if she knew I had memorized all the Manifestos. She'd probably say I was Erudite material, and an egghead. Unfortunately, I'm not smart enough to do _that._ I just wanted to know it for when I chose something.

I knew that there was _no_ way I could pick Dauntless. I love my family and Rainbow, but there's no way I would even pass Stage One of initiation. I probably wouldn't even make it off the train.

I love helping others, especially animals. Maybe that's why I got Abnegation on my test.

I am standing up, making room for the Candor initiates. I try to spy Applejack from under my long mane, but she must have taken another bus.

"Hey."

I turn around. A young Abnegation-born is staring at me. She has a gray mane in a tight bun and a white pelt. I notice that she has her cutie mark (three ribbon bows), which is odd; most ponies don't get cutie marks until after they initiate, and if you do before then, even the Abnegation celebrate it, if only by a formal dinner.

"Hello." I squeak shyly.

"I'm Vanilla Sweets." she says. "You transferred from Dauntless?"

I glance down at my black long-sleeved shirt and long black pants, suddenly ashamed of them. "Yep."

"Don't be shy. Shyness comes from being worried of what others think of you, so it's self-indulgent." Vanilla doesn't say this in a reprimanding way, but in a gentle, kind way.

I feel even more nervous. Maybe I should have picked Amity. "I'm sorry!" I squeal.

"No problem." she says. "All the other transfers are usually nervous at first, too. I see them all the time with my brother."

I squeal again.

She seems to realize that she made me nervous. "I apologize." she says. "But if there's anything you need to help with Abnegation, I'll be in the second room on the left."

"Thank you." I mutter. "I'm… Fluttershy." I whisper my name, but she catches it anyway.

"I hope we will be able to help each other, Fluttershy." she says.

"So, what do you mean, 'the second room on the left'?" I ask.

"Well, we all have separate rooms, obviously." she looks at me in a strange way. "Why wouldn't me?"

"It's just, well…" I stutter. "The Dauntless initiates all share the same room. I thought…"

"That's barbaric." Vanilla tells me, patting me on the shoulder. "No wonder you transferred. How on earth are you supposed to get privacy?"

"We have separate showers." I say, but that's the only defense I have. _Or is it "want" to have?_

"Are you going to change clothes in the showers?" she asks. I don't respond.

"It's fine." she finally utters. "The Dauntless are noble and brave, and protect our borders."

"From what?" I ask.

"I don't know." she answers. "Why would I want to? Wanting to know would be self-indulgent."

"Of course." I say.

"You'll be provided with a change of clothing tomorrow morning." she informs me. "You'll also have your own bathroom, just so you know."

"Okay."

The bus stops. It's Abnegation land now. I hadn't realized we were there already.

"I'll see you there." Vanilla offers, though she is disappointed once one of the leaders, Andrew, tells us that he'll show the transfers to their dorms. We are all put in the same building, but the boys are on the right and the girls on the left. I am given the last room, and I take count of who has joined. There are a total of two Candors and three Amities. The rest are Abnegation-borns. I shudder to think that I'm the only Dauntless transfer.

When I reach the room, I see that Vanilla was right. There are several identical gray clothes stacked in the top of a gray dresser, identical gray pajamas in the bottom of the dresser, and there is a gray bathroom attached to my room. The walls, floor and ceiling are also gray, and there is a gray bed shoved in the corner. Next to the gray bed is a small, gray table, with a single lit candle and a glass of water.

I put on some pajamas and crawl into my bed.

It's so different from Dauntless. There are no noises, and no decorations. There's no daring to do anything, and there isn't any adventure anywhere.

I sigh with relief.

The next day, I wake up to silence. _Did everyone else die or something?_ I wonder, and then I remember that I'm in Abnegation now. I'm so happy I decide to squeal my loudest squeal.

I can barely hear it.

After that, I take a nice, warm shower and then change into a long-sleeved gray shirt with ankle-length gray pants. I brush out my mane and tail, and then find a gray hairband. I attempt several times to put my hair in an Abnegation bun. The closest I got was a knot in the back of my head that took several minutes to brush out. Finally, I slipped the hairband onto my hoof and then walked slowly down the hallway to the second room on the left. I knock on the door. "Vanilla Sweets? It's me, Fluttershy. Could you help me?"

The door opens, but it's not Vanilla Sweets who opens the door. A gray male pony with a black mane opens it, and his eyes widen at the sight of me. I squeak and try to scamper away, but I only run into the wall.

"Fluttershy?"

The door across from the boy's opens, and Vanilla Sweets looks out. Her mane is already styled, and she glares over at the boy pony as if it was his fault. "Felix, please excuse us."

"I'm sorry!" I cry.

Felix blinks at me slowly and then shuts the door, muttering something about "girls."

"That would be the second door on the _right_, Fluttershy." she informs me gently. "Not the left."

"Sorry." I mutter, and she leads me to her room.

"That was my brother, Felix." she says. "We were Irish twins, and he was born a few weeks after the Choosing, so we chose on the same day."

I nod. "So… what do we do in Initiation?" I ask as she takes my hairband and begins working it into a bun.

"Thirty days of Community service." she informs me. "Today we are picking up trash. We each are given our own section of the faction and partner. I hope we're together."

"Mm-hmm." I mutter.

"What do the Dauntless do for Initiation?" she asks.

"Oh, we will spend the first half of the month learning fighting skills." I inform her, as she nods and starts pulling my long mane to the top of my head. "After that, the failures are sent away to be Factionless. In the second half, they give you another simulation serum… at least I think so, from what I heard my cousins talking about while we were visiting. It's supposed to simulate your worst fears one at a time, or something, and at the end they send them at you all at once. Then the top ten initiates are chosen to be Dauntless members."

"Only the top ten?" she asks.

"Yes." I inform her. "The rest are Factionless."

"That explains all the Factionless crawling around." Vanilla concludes. "I'm glad _I_ didn't pick Dauntless."

"Did you consider…" I begin, before she shushes me by climbing off the bed, and I realize she's done with my hair.

"Is there a mirror I can look into?" I ask. "I'd just… like to see what I look like."

"Mirrors are self-indulgent." Vanilla informs me. "We only use a mirror on the second day of the third month, when we cut our hair."

I nod. "Okay. I'm sorry."

"It's fine." Vanilla waves my apology away. "You're new. You don't know anything about Abnegation yet." she sits me down.

"I know a bit." I tell her. "One of my best friends in school, Pinkie Pie, was Abnegation."

"Oh yes, I remember Pinkie." Vanilla says with slight distaste in her mouth. "Absolutely no calmness whatsoever. What did she join again?"

"Amity." I whisper.

"She'll be happy there, I believe." Vanilla nods. "Here, I'll teach you about Abnegation."

"Thank you!" I'm so relieved I can barely breathe.

Vanilla smiles. "No gratitude necessary. It's my pleasure to serve you."

She begins. "Now, do you know our manifesto?"

I nod and repeat it.

"Good." she grins. "But 'And only God remains' is optional."

"I know. I _want_ to say it."

"That's fine, but remember that not every Abnegation is a Christian or religious. My brother and I are, for the record. Now, in Abnegation, children are not allowed to speak at the table without permission, or allowed to ask questions. After dinner, their parents will take them to the living room, and then they will listen to their children. Members of Abnegation will bow heads as a form of respect to one another. We believe that physical contact is powerful, and should not be displayed in public, especially physical demonstrations of love. We don't believe in decorating rooms. Enjoying art takes time away from serving others. We don't drink alcohol and view suicide as an act of selfishness. We use guilt as a tool to remind us to be better the next time a similar situation comes up. We also don't celebrate birthdays, as it would be self-indulgent."

I nod, trying to remember everything. However, I think to myself that I will remember my birthday.

It's then that I notice that Vanilla's water from the night before was still full. She had probably recently refilled it, though, because it didn't have any signs that it was a night old.

Vanilla follows my gaze. "Go ahead and check your reflection." she smiles. "Just for today."

I say something appreciative, but I run over to look at myself quickly. I like what I see.

My mane, which has always been in my face before, is pulled up to the top of my head, like Pinkie's mom's mane is. I never noticed before how big my eyes were or their vibrant shade of blue. I duck my head a little in embarrassment. "Thank you." I tell Vanilla.

"I should thank _you_, I think." Vanilla says. "That's the first thing I've done to serve another as an adult, unless you count joining Abnegation."

I smile. "Now, should we go clean up the faction?"  
She grins. "Let's go! I'll lead you there!"

I walk out the door, thinking, _At least I made a friend in my new home._


	7. Chapter Seven: Rarity

Chapter Seven

Rarity

**(AN: Okay, I finally made two OCs in this chapter! Yayz! Yeah, the ponies I used**

**earlier were just ones I grabbed randomly off of MLP Wiki, but Sugar Cookie and Rainbow Sprinkles are mine now. XD. However, the clapping game they play is not. First person to guess what their clapping game is from gets internet donuts.)**

Honestly, does Pinkie understand the concept of _anything_? Beside from _fun_ and _friends_ and _party_, I mean. Because she obviously doesn't understand the concept of _beauty sleep_, as she woke me up at 5:30 am screaming, "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARITYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

By now, I've woken up for the fifth time, and I've discovered that locking the door and pushing the chair up against it keeps Pinkie from banging on it.

I roll out of bed and brush my mane, trying to put it to perfection. Thankfully, it does so on its own.

I find the simplest yellow dress in my fancifully decorated dresser, and then I take out some red fabric I've been provided with. There is also a sewing machine in my closet, to encourage us to use art, and I get to work adding a swirl design to the dress.

I used to help mother and father make our outfits in Candor, so it's very easy for me to sew something to the dress. I remember being bored by the dull black-and-whiteness of Candor, always trying to find room for art. Now that I'm in Amity, I can do all the art I want.

Finally, I finish my dress. I pull it out and examine it. It's a pretty well-done piece of art, if I do say so myself. In fact, now that I think of it, maybe designing things is what I'm good at.

I feel warm all over all of the sudden, and I look to my flank and see a design of three blue gems appear on there. I grin and give a small cheer. A cutie mark on my first day in Amity. That _has _to be a good sign.

I pull on my dress and head out the door. One of the Amity-born ponies- a cousin of Applejack, possibly?- already told me that the girls are meeting in a large wooden cabin that functions as a culinary school. I walk out the door of the building that holds the dormitories and see the cabin on a hill. I am about to head to it when I hear a familiar squeal. "Rarity!"

I sigh as I feel pink hooves clasp around me in a hug. "Hello, Pinkie Pie."

Pinkie grins at me. "Wow! Nice dress? Did you make it yourself?"

"Yes I did." I say. "Now, we're supposed to go to _that_ cabin over there."

Pinkie nods. "Okay." She bounces the whole way there.

When we arrive, I tut at Pinkie's simple red shirt and yellow pants, and then realize that we're not alone.

"Hello!" says a white pony with a very pale tan mane.

"Are you feeling happy today?" asks the other pony, who has a matching pelt, but has a white mane with rainbow specks in it.

"Yes we are!" Pinkie says. "I'm Pinkie Pie, and I transferred from Abnegation! This is Rarity, from Candor!"

"I'm Sugar Cookie!" says the white pony. "This is my sister, Rainbow Sprinkles!"

"Are you twins?" I ask.

"Yes!" they giggle.

I look at their outfits. They are wearing red shirts to match Pinkie, with cheerleader-style yellow skirts. They have yellow headbands in their manes. They are obviously Amity-born.

I smile at them, and they look delighted. They immediately begin a little clapping game, to our amusement.

"_One, two three, together! Clap together, snap together! You and me together, knees together, freeze together! Up or down, together! Princess crown together! Always be together, you and me!"_

"That looks like fun!" Pinkie squeals.

"Princess crown?" I ask.

Sugar Cookie shrugs. "It's just a saying."

"A majorly _fun_ saying!" Rainbow Sprinkles squeaks.

"Do you have cutie marks yet?" Sugar Cookie asks.

"Yes!" Pinkie says. "It's three balloons, because my talent is throwing parties! I always figured that was my talent, but I didn't get my mark until I picked Amity. As soon as I did, I felt all warm, and when I changed outfits last night, I saw my cutie mark!"

"I got one this morning, when I designed this dress." I admit. "It's three gems, to symbolize my knack for designing dresses."

"My cutie mark is a cookie!" Sugar tells us.

"Mine is a bunch of sprinkles!" Sprinkles grins.

"Because we're going to own a bakery when we initiate!" they say together, and then do their clapping game again.

I look at Pinkie, who's probably already memorized the clapping game.

At that point, the other initiates bounce in- literally. Pinkie will definitely fit in here.

The instructor comes in. "Hello, girls! I'm one your morning teachers, Apple Cider."

_Oh._ I think. _A relative of Applejack._

"In the mornings, you will learn how to cook and take care of a household. In the afternoons, you'll join my friends Apple Cinnamon, Chocolate Tail and Cosmic in learning how to plant, grow and harvest farm. And on the weekends, we'll teach you to play an instrument of your choice!" Apple Cider informs us, beaming from head-to-hoof. "Now, for cooking, I want the earth ponies with me, the pegasi with my friend Cream Tangerine, and the unicorns with my other friend Primrose!" **(AN: And no, those are not OCs either. MLP wiki is really helpful. :D)**

I nod and separate from Pinkie, sighing with relief. However, I'm happy we'll be in the same faction. I'm not sure how I could laugh without Pinkie in my life.


	8. Chapter Eight: Twilight Sparkle

Chapter Eight

Twilight Sparkle

I hear an alarm go off.

"Five more minutes." I mutter, rolling over in my bed.

However, my bed feels less comfortable, somehow, and my sheets are thinner.

I open one eye, and see row after row of books.

I leap to my hooves and squeal. I'm in Erudite training! I'm an _Erudite Initiate_!

"Keep it down!" Holly Dash, one of my many roommates, tosses a pillow at me. I deflect it with my horn and send it flying under my bunk.

"Do you _have_ to wake us up at six am, Twi?" asks Night Shade.

"We're not all early risers." complains Twinkleshine, Night Shade's cousin.

"Don't you guys want to study before classes begin?" I ask curiously.

"NO!" all five mares shout.

I do a quick head-count. There are Night Shade and Twinkleshine, who are also Erudite-born initiates, Holly Dash and Sugarberry the Amity transfers, and Sea Swirl the Candor transfer. I note that we're all unicorns, and inform my roommates that 92% of the Erudite population are unicorns. I am responded with another pillow, this time from Twinkleshine.

I sigh and pull a book out from one of the shelves, titled A History of Factions.

Time to study.

* * *

Three hours later, classes begin.

My roommates have finally gotten into the spirit of things, and they're giddy with excitement. I try to keep it all down, but I let out a few squeals every now and again.

"Settle down, class!" calls our teacher.

"Cheerilee?" I ask. "You're teaching us?"

Cheerilee nods. "I teach the initiates every year. You'll remember that I send in a substitute every training month?"

I nod, slightly ashamed that I haven't figured it out before.

"But before we begin," Cheerilee says, "We're going to have a little introduction by Jeanine."

"Jeanine?" a male pegasus mutters to his friend. "She's coming?"

I sit up a little straighter, suddenly wishing that I wasn't in the front row.

At that point, Jeanine enters. She is tall, with a pale yellow mane and the palest blue pelt. She has a cutie mark of a pencil on paper, to represent her high IQ. She glances between us, as if sizing us up for future Erudites.

"Good morning, initiates." she says.

"Good morning, Jeanine." we say in unison. And no, we have never practiced that.

"Today you are going to begin your learning to be Erudites." she says. "I presume that almost all of you got Erudite in the test?"

We all nod, though I hesitate. Well, I got 33⅓% Erudite. I think. Does that count?

"I noticed," Jeanine informs us, using her horn to scratch something out on the chalkboard in front of us, "that, of the twenty initiates in this class, eleven are Erudite-born, four are Abnegation-born, three are Amity-born, and two are of Candor birth."

After writing this out on the board, Jeanine turns to us and gives us a glare. She then turns her attention at me. "You." she calls.

"Me?" I ask, startled.

"Yes," she rolls her eyes slightly, "Can you tell me what the percentage of each faction is in our class?"

I take a few deep breaths to steady myself, and then I respond. "Well, obviously, there's a 0% Dauntless."

Jeanine scratches that out on the board.

I continue. "Then, since twenty times five is one-hundred, we simply have to multiply the other numbers by five. So there's 55% Erudite, 20% Abnegation, 15% Amity and 10% Candor."

Jeanine nods. "Very good." She erases the words and then writes 90ºC. She looks around. "Can anyone tell me what this temperature would be in Fahrenheit?"

Lots of ponies raise their hooves, including me. She picks on me. "Yes, Miss…"

"Twilight Sparkle, ma'am." I respond. "First, you have to do is multiple ninety by the fraction nine-fifths, or 1.8. Right now, we can multiply it by nine-fifths."

Jeanine writes this on the board:

90 9

– X –

1 5

"Then you can cancel out the five," I add, "and turn the ninety into eighteen. Then it's simply multiplying eighteen by nine, which is one-hundred sixty-two."

Jeanine notes this on the board. "Is that all?"

"No. You then have to add thirty-two. That makes one-hundred ninety-four."

Jeanine writes 194ºF on the board. "And, Miss Sparkle, is that more or less than the average body temperature?"

"Definitely more." I say.

Jeanine nods. "And can you tell me, Miss Sparkle, about the rulers in the time of the princesses?"

I feel a little worried. "The time of the Princesses…" I mutter. Who were the princesses who ruled? "Um... Luna and... Celestia, is it?"

Jeanine nods. I sigh with relief.

"Very good, Miss Sparkle. If the rest of the class is as good as this, we'll have a lot of new Erudites this year."

The Erudite-borns have been taking notes. The other classmates take the cue and start copying their neighbors' notes.

"Please remember," Jeanine tells us, "that in two weeks, you will be given an intelligence test. Those whose intelligence is below the minimum score will become Factionless."

I shudder. Factionless.

"Continue with your class, Miss Cheerilee." Jeanine nods to our teacher, then walks out of the room.

Cheerilee begins to teach, as my thoughts wander towards the test. Will being Divergent lower my score?

"And now," Cheerilee says, "The Square of Opposition…"


	9. Chapter Nine: Applejack

Chapter Nine

Applejack

**(AN: Thank you all SOOOO much for reviewing! Also, I looked up typing in a**

**Southern accent, so it should be better than the last Applejack chapter. Recognitions and Responses at the end of the chapter.)**

"The Square of Opposition is very important in learning logic." says Winter Withers, our instructor. "It shows how the contradictions, contrarieties, etc. work."

Our instructor draws a large square on the whiteboard, the writes around it, sayin', "Eventually, you will have the Square of Opposition memorized, and you can use it in everyday arguments."

I look at the square. **(AN: I'm going to describe it here, but it's hard to do so, but the Square of Opposition is very important to this chapter AND arguing logically, so just google it in a new tab, okay?)**

In the top left corner, an "A" is written, and the top right has an "E". The bottom left corner has an "I" written in it, and the bottom left has an "O". There's a big X in the middle made up of two double-sided arrows- one that's pointing from A to O, and one from I to E. It says "Contradiction" in the middle. There's another double-sided arrow from A to E labeled "Contrariety", and one from I to O that's titled "Subcontrariety." There are two arrows on each side, one pointing up and the other pointing down. The up-pointing-arrows have the words "Superimplication" written by them, and the down-pointing-arrows have "Subimplication."

"Excuse me, Ms. Withers?" a young'un originally from Amity raises her hoof.

"Yes, Serena?" Winter asks.

"I thought we just got hooked up to a lie detector, all day every day for training." she says.

"Who told you that? A transfer?" Winter giggles. Serena looks a little ashamed. "It's very important that you learn a logical argument, as most of you will be teachers or politicians. However, you do get a session in the lie detector every day; that's where Starlight is now."

While the other ponies realize that Starlight is, in fact, missin' the class, I itch my arm. The black-and-white suit that I picked at random to wear today is itchin' a lot, and it's really annoyin'.

"Anyway, does anyone know what the A, E, I and O stand for?" Winter asks.

A Candor-born raises his hoof.

"Yes, Milky Way?"

"They stand for certain arguments." he informs us. "'A' means 'All S are P', 'E' means 'No S are P', 'I' means 'Some S are P', and O means 'Some S are not P'."

"What are S and P?" Northern Lights, a former Abnegation pony, inquires.

"'S' and 'P' are simply stand-ins for whatever words you want to throw in." Milky Way explains, castin' her a glare.

"Thank you, Milky Way." Winter makes sure everyone is payin' close attention, then points to "Contradiction." We all look up. "This is Contradiction. The line symbolizes that neither side can be true or false at the same time. For example, if 'Some dogs are not canines' is false, then 'All dogs are canines' must be true. If 'All dogs are canines' is false, then it must be true that 'Some dogs are not Canines.' The same goes for E and I."

"Well then, aren't A and E contradictions?" another Amity-born, Flurry, asks.

"No," Winter explains, "A and E are 'Contrariety.'" she points to the Contrariety line. "Both cannot be true at the same time, but they can both be false. Can anyone give me an instance where both could be false?"

I surprise myself by raising my hoof.

"Yes, Applejack?" Winter asks.

"Well, if 'All Abnegations are Earth-ponies' is false," I begin, thinkin' of Pinkie and Fluttershy, "Then one would assume that 'No Abnegations are Earth-ponies is true.' However, what if all the Abnegation were Earth-ponies except for one that was a Unicorn? Then 'Some Abnegations are Earth-ponies' would be true, meanin' that 'No Abnegations are Earth-ponies' is false by Contradiction."

"Thank you, Applejack." Winter grins. "You seem to be understanding this very well. Now, 'Subcontrariety' is the exact opposite. Both can be true, but both cannot be false. Any other instances?"

"Kind of like the reverse of what Applejack said." Milky Way says without raisin' her hoof. "'Some Dauntless are not Pegasi' could be true, but it could also be false that all are."

"Please raise your hoof next time, Milky Way." Winter chides. She is about to tell us about Subimplication, but an earth pony walks in. "Applejack?"

Everyone turns to stare at me. I get up and walk out, and notice Starlight scamper in, lookin' afraid.

Looks like I'm about to face the lie detector.

"Just sit here, Applejack." Candy Mane, one of the Candor leaders, sits me down in a gray chair. It's hooked up to a whole mess of wires, which scares me a little.

"We'll start with simple questions." she says. "What's your name?"

"Applejack." I say.

Candy Mane continues, "Where were you born?"

"Amity." I respond.

"Do you have any siblings?"

"My older brother, Big Macintosh, and my lil' sister, Apple Bloom."

Candy Mane marks something on a sheet of paper. "How old is Apple Bloom?"

"Nine."

"Do you have doubts about leaving her?"

I swallow. "Sometimes."

"Do you wish you chose Amity?"

"No." This I respond with full confidence.

"Do you think you could have been happy there?"

"Maybe. I don't know."

"What do you plan to do here when you graduate? Do you want to be a leader of the law, a teacher, etc.?"

"I don't know. Maybe a representative or a teacher."

Another mark. "One more question, Applejack."

"This is only takin' a short while." I mention. "I thought it would take longer."

"We ask more questions to those who lie." Candy Mane informs me. "You don't lie very much. So, our last question– what did you get on your aptitude?"

This question startles me. Why would they ask that? "Candor."

Candy Mane responds, "Funny. I figured you would get Amity."

"I didn't because I'm too wild to be there." I tell her truthfully, repeating what the test administer told me. "I'd feel confined in there."

She nods. "Right then. Come with me, Applejack, and we'll take you back to your room."

"I have a question." I say.

"Yes, Applejack?" Candy Mane asks.

"Why did you ask what I got on the aptitude? That's kinda personal information."

Candy Mane pauses before responding. "Well… let's just say we want to know where everyone's loyalties are."

**(AN: Congrats to Rose and Blushing (both guests) and woodland59 for guessing the song in Rainbow's last chapter... _Defying Gravity_, from _Wicked_. You know, the greatest song ever along with Let it Go. Speaking of that, double congrats to woodland59 for guessing the _Frozen_ reference in Rarity's chapter. You all get internet donuts!**

**( o ) ( o ) ( o )  
**

**There are actually lots up there. They're stacked on top of each other. One pile for each of you.**

**Also, in response to Blushing's question about a Pinkie POV, I _will_ have one, but it will come later, as I want to settle everyone into their factions before I focus double on Amity. Although, we will have more Twilight and Fluttershy POVs than anyone else, because I find their plotlines most interesting.**

**I also want to say that there will probably be a sequel after this, but I need a name that ends in -ive that is not anything like the words Divergent, Insurgent or Allegiant [how do you spell that?]. Please help!)**


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